Grommet for umbrellas



March A25, 1952` J. I EvlN GROMMET FOR UMBRELLAS Filed April 14. 1949Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE brella MachineryCorp., New York, N. Y a corporation of New York Application April 14,1949, Serial No. 87,419

l Claim.

This invention relates to grommets for umbrella covers, and is animprovement over the structure embodied in Patent No. 2,120,959 issuedJune 14, 1938.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved grommet which canbe applied to the cover with existing apparatus and methods, and whichin applied position will not present any. sharp `corner or edges to thefabric which in existing grommets tends to cut the fabric.

In the embodiment of this invention the grommet is formed of a pair ofrings which are substantially semi-circular in transverse section sothat one ring will seat or nest in the other ring, and the outer ring isprovided with prongs which are adapted to be bent over the inner edge ofthe other or inner ring and then bent upwardly into the concave side ofthe inner ring. In this manner the inner ring will conceal the prongs sothat the prongs cannot catch onto any portion of the fabric.

Further, the outer edge of the rim and the inner edge of the rim betweenthe tongues of one ring and above the edges of the rim of the other ringare of rounded arcuate configuration so as to avoid cutting the fabric.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View looking from the outer side of a grommetconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention in appliedposition of an umbrella cover.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the grommet in appliedposition.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken diametrically through thegrommet and a portion of the cover.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the grommet.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally an umbrellacover which may be formed of fabric or other fiexible material and isformed of a plurality of stitched or otherwise secured together sectorsII. A grommet is secured to the central portion of the cover Il at apoint spaced outwardly from the center thereofas shown in Figures l and2. This grommet comprises an upper or outer ring i2 and a lower orinner-ring lli. The upper or outer ring I2 is substantially ofsemi-circular configuration in transverse section as shown in Figure 3and the lower ring I4 is also of substantially semi-circularconfiguration in transverse section, and is adapted to seat or nest intothe concave lower side of the outer ring I2. The outer ring I2 hasprojecting from the inner rim thereof, a plurality of prongs Cl.,Z4-141) I5 which initially project below the inner edge of the outerring I2 and in the same direction as the curvature of this outer ring.

The prongs I, as shown in Figure 3, are adapted to be bent outwardly andupwardly into the concave lower side as shown in Figure 3 of the loweror inner ring I4 so that the prongs I5 will be substantially concealedand will be protected by the concave lower side of lower or inner ringIG. By providing the two hollow rin-gs as hereinbefore described, thefabric of the cover IU will substantially follow the curvature of thetwo rings forming the grommet so that when the umbrella is in acollapsed position no sharp corners will be presented or come intocontact with the cover.

As shown in Figure 3, the edge of the rim I6 of the outer or uppergrommet ring I2 may be rounded off so that a smooth arcuate surfaced rimwill be provided which will not injure or cut the fabric or the materialforming the cover II). In covers at present in use considerabledifficulty is experienced in the use of the flat ring shaped grommetsbecause of the sharp corners of these grommets which tend to injure orcut the cover and thereby shorten the useful life of the umf brella.With the grommet as hereinbefore described, the sharp corners of thegrommet have been eliminated and the grommet has been so shaped as tosubstantially Vfollow the line of the cover, particularly when the coveris in collapsed position. The grommets hereinbefore described can beapplied with the apparatus at present in use and in accordance with thepresent methods of applying the grommet.` In practice, the upper ring I2is magnetically secured to a plunger and the cover I0 is held on a atsurface with the lower ring I4 positioned in axial alignment with theupper ring I2. The upper ring is then pressed downwardly with the prongsI5 piercing the cover and it is understood that there will be providedan anvil or prong bending means beneath the lower ring i4 which willbend the prongs I5 outwardly and then upwardly into the concave lowerside of lower ring I4.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A grommet for use with a fabric umbrella comprising a pair of separablerings, each having an arcuate cross-sectional configuration, thev convexside of one of said rings nesting in the concave side of the other, saidrings being so dimensioned that when so seated, their rims aresubstantially flush, a plurality of equidistantly spaced pointed tongueson the inner edge of the rim of said other ring. adapted to beoverlapped over the inner edge of the rim of said one ring,

and extend inwardly into the concavty of said UNITED STATES PATENTS onering, the outer edge of the rim and the inner Number Name Date edge ofthe rim between the tongues of said other 143,297 odierne Sept. 30J 1873ring and both edges of the rim of said one rin-g 274,137 Parker Man 20,1883 being of rounded arcuate conguration whereby 5 890,854t Grant Jan 71902 no sharp edges of the rims are exposed to contact 1,430,129VOO-11cm Sept 20)J 1922 with the fabric `of said umbrella. 2,120,959Houander June 14 1938 JOSEPH LEVIN.

REFERENCES CITED 10 The foloWng references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

